Ben Wade Pipes

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rhogg

Can't Leave
Jun 14, 2011
443
2
Anybody have any opinions on their new pipes. I have been eyeballing one, but don't know such about them.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
I've got an old one... 30 plus years.

I have no complaints.

It's a good pipe.

Good value too.
my2nd-1-600x450.jpg


 

quincy

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 7, 2013
508
10
My tobacconist says the briar they use isn't the best quality but I don't know how true that is...

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
I have a size 5 freehand Dublin Royal Grain, Handmade in Denmark Ben Wade made by Preben Holm for Lane Ltd.. It's a beautiful pipe and a good smoker. I've dedicated it to Danish Aromatics (W.O. Larsen). Picked it up for 35$ from fleebay and did a complete restoration (stripping stain, sanding off outer, rim, sand, and re-coat the bowl, ...)
benwade.jpg


 

fnord

Lifer
Dec 28, 2011
2,746
8
Topeka, KS
Yep, Rhogg, I'm with Roth on this one. I own three Ben Wade Danish Freehands from the PH days and I'm an evangelist. Not only are they damned attractive they're also great smokers, but I can't remember any pipemaker who had a further fall from grace. The Preben Holm line still fetches a top dollar price but his Ben Wade burners are steals in the 25 to 50 buck range.
If you don't mind smoking a dead man's pipe - and some do - then the older Danish Ben Wades are, hands down, one of the best values out there on the aftermarket.
On the other hand, if you're not a fan of Danish pipes then my input was a complete waste of time and energy.
Cheers.
Fnord

 

jcsnaps

Lifer
Oct 18, 2010
1,031
10
Like many of the posts state, the Holm era Ben Wades are great, I also have several as Holm was one of my favorite pipemakers(check avatar). Now on to the question. The name "Ben Wade" has been around a very long time and has moved with the times to different places,(London, Denmark, etc.), with different people running the show. I cannot offer insight to the current quality, but the "name" has always provided a respectable product. I was smoking a nice Ben Wade Danish Pride on the way to work this morning.

 

kcghost

Lifer
May 6, 2011
13,140
21,408
77
Olathe, Kansas
I got mine in the mid 70's and it is just wonderful freehand Dublin with a smooth top (I hate plateau). As others have said they have never been able to recover their place in the market when their quality dropped. Their fall was so steep that us old guys have no interest in looking to see if they have recovered.

 

sdcowboy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 24, 2011
114
9
Rapid City, SD
I don't know anything about their fall from grace from a quality standpoint. I purchased a new Ben Wade bulldog two years ago, and it is the best smoker in my collection. The draw is so open that you'd forget that you have tobacco in the pipe! It always smokes cool and consistent. This was my first and only bulldog so far, and I am well pleased for the $85 investment. I would buy another Ben Wade based on the experience.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I had a Ben Wade panel billiard for a while, with a light brown sandblasted finish. I really liked the panel concept.

I think it was called a "Westerner" model. It was one of the pipes that seemed a little too large bore, so the

smoke and flavor weren't quite concentrated enough. The finish, that looked a little plastic at first, didn't

seem to mellow and get patina as the pipe aged. Finally I traded it with several others for most of the cost

of a Peterson Around-the-World model commemorating Ireland, a bulldog, which I like a lot. Nothing wrong

with the Ben Wade, but finally it wasn't a keeper.

 
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